Thursday, August 20, 2009

Val Emmich interviews Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace


Val Emmich interviews lead singer of Our Lady Peace, Raine Maida. Val, a long time fan of Our Lady Peace talks to Raine about the solo life, songwriting and Neil Young. Here's an excerpt:

Emmich: I’m a longtime fan of Our Lady Peace, starting from when I first hear, “Naveed” over the airwaves growing up in New Jersey. So often, solo records sound too similar to the band the member is from. [But] “The Hunters Lullaby” doesn’t sound like a solo record from the singer of Our Lady Peace but rather a new and singular artist. Was this a conscious effort or just a natural progression once you were separated from the band dynamics?
Maida: Great pedigree coming from New Jersey, Val. I saw Springsteen a couple months ago in Anaheim and was blown away by the man; real songs, real stories and he seems to be very close to completing his metamorphosis to Bob Dylan. I’ve always thought of myself as more of a writer than singer. Easy on with OLP I would try and smash my poems into lyrics, but I quickly learned that the confines of pop music are quite strict. I also hit a point where I was really feeling let down by modern music. It had seemed to lose its relevance. Spoken word had picked up that slack. You get poetry, venom, message and beauty all for the price of one song and a catchy beat. I think that influence, along with the respect I hold of OLP’s career kept me at a safe distance musically speaking. The guys in OLP are my friends and I would never want to undermine what we have achieved.

This interview was featured in Corduroy magazine issue #4 which I will be posting in www.valeemichfans.com. Also, follow the site on twitter.

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